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Erlangen is a city in Franconia, Germany. It is home to most of the Friedrich-Alexander University (two faculties are in Nuremberg) and the Siemens company.

The 49.596647111.00256681Erlangen tourist info, Goethestraße 21a (located in the center of the city; coming out of the central station turn left at the end of the square into Goethestraße, the office is in the second building to the right), ☎+49 9131 8951-0, e-mail: tourist@etm-er.de. M-Th 09:00-17:00, F 09:00-15:00, Sa 10:00-13:00. (updated Sep 2016).

While Erlangen can trace its history back to a first mention (as "Villa Erlangon") over a thousand years ago, it was soon overshadowed by its 50-odd year younger neighbor Nuremberg. The biggest lasting influence upon Erlangen were their former rulers the Margraves from the Ansbach-Bayreuth branch line of the Hohenzollern (the leaders of Prussia and later all of Germany) dynasty, that ruled the city for most of the early modern period, but preferred to reside in Bayreuth and Ansbach respectively. When the French Protestants were expelled, the Margrave, much like their distant relatives in Brandenburg, decided to invite them to come to Erlangen and the old houses and almost unnavigable (unless you ride a bike like most locals do) one-way streets of the "Huguenot-town" as well as a centrally located rather impressive reformed church (right next to Hugenottenplatz) still bear witness to this era. With the Huguenots a certain wealth entered town and Erlangen has been a center for various industries and research ever since, which was aided when the Margraves decided to open a new university in Erlangen (which later got two faculties in Nuremberg). A common joke (probably made up by a student of theology from Erlangen) claims that Erlangen is the only German place mentioned in the bible with the (real sounding but fake) quote "Suchet das Himmelreich zu erlangen" which can be translated either as "seek to reach heaven" or "Search for heaven in Erlangen". However, no such quote is to be found in any common German version of the Bible.

When Erlangen finally became part of Bavaria in the first years of the 19th century, all universities in Franconia were to be shut down in favor of the universities of "Old-Bavaria", but someone pointed out, that Erlangen had a unique selling point no other university in the new kingdom had: an evangelical theological faculty. As the new king wanted protestant ministers to be educated somewhere, he decided to shut the university in Altdorf (near Nuremberg) down, while retaining the university of Erlangen. This proved a good decision for the city and with the industrialization, Erlangen became an important center of cotton processing plants. ErBa (=Erlangen-Bamberg) and Baumwollspinnerei (=Cotton factory) are names from this period and still found in some place names in Erlangen. While Erlangen was not unaffected by the Nazis and the Second World War, it was much less bombed than Nuremberg or Munich and in the waning days of the war, the then mayor and a high ranking general called Walter Lorleberg somehow managed to surrender the town to the American army despite orders to the contrary. While the exact details are not known, Lorleberg died in the waning hours of the war (presumably killed by fanatic Nazis) and a square in Erlangen is still named after him, which is however not at all uncontroversial, him being a high ranking Nazi general and all.

The Erlangen Siemens headquarters built 1948-53, known popularly as "Himbeerpalast" or raspberry palace - plans are to move part of the University facilities into this building as Siemens will leave them after moving to the Siemens campus in Southern Erlangen that is currently being constructed

After the war Siemens decided to move out of Berlin, which had been almost entirely destroyed. To avoid the Soviets, they decided to build two headquarters in the American Zone, one of which would become Erlangen (the other is in Munich, in case you were wondering). This decision continues to benefit the city. Siemens policies and decisions are followed almost as intensely as mayoral politics in Erlangen. Erlangen grew rapidly from just under 30,000 inhabitants in 1925. Between people moving in and the incorporation of suburbs such as Dechsendorf, by 1975 the city had 100 000 people, above which (just barely) the number of inhabitants still lies to this day. Erlangen decided against building more and bigger streets or improving public transport all that much, but to encourage cycling as a means of getting around. Today many residents (even those working for Siemens and the mayor) get to work on their bikes every day, and the cars clogging the streets often have number-plates of the surrounding villages and suburbs. Erlangen thrives economically today, but is still dependent upon its university and Siemens. If either coughs, the city gets pneumonia.

The next airport is in Nuremberg (IATA: NUE) with domestic and limited international connections. the U-Bahn (subway) takes you to the Nuremberg main station in roughly 12 minutes, from where you can take a wide variety of inter-city (ICE and IC), regional (RE and RB) and commuter-trains (the S-Bahn) to Erlangen. The subway and regional trains are fully integrated within the VGN tariff union. There is also a direct bus (line 30) from the airport to downtown Erlangen every 20 minutes on weekdays (40 minutes on weekends). This option takes a bit under half an hour.

If you are flying in from Frankfurt airport (IATA: FRA), there are connections with one change (in Nuremberg) from the train station integrated into the airport. Erlangen can be reached somewhat more quickly from Munich Airport (IATA: MUC, although it is one more stop away on the train. For more on combined train and flight tickets see this article.

Trains run regularly from Nuremberg and take about 20 min. Bamberg is about 30 min away in the other direction. Most ICE trains between Munich and Berlin stop in Erlangen. The Nuremberg S-Bahn network includes four stops in Erlangen, two of them in annexed suburbs (49.5701810.99691Bruck, 49.59611.0022Hauptbahnhof, 49.57910.9993Paul Gossen Straße and 49.55310.9963844Eltersdorf)

Intercity buses (privately run, the market is very young and thus volatile but Flixbus is close to a monopoly already with prices slowly on the rise as of 2016) stop close to the main train station at 49.59619611.000115Busbahnhof (Central Bus Station). To get to the city center you have to cross the railroad tracks by going through the train station. From Nuremberg the public run bus number 30 (VGN rates apply) connects the last tram stop ("am Wegfeld") with the city center of Erlangen before continuing towards the airport. Bus line 20 also goes to "am Wegfeld" but it takes a more circuitous route and terminates there instead of going on to the airport.

Plans to build a light rail line (locally known as Stadt-Umland-Bahn or StUB) to Nuremberg (replacing bus line 30) and to Herzogenaurach are under way but it isn't likely to be completed before 2020. Other surrounding minor towns and suburbs, including Herzogenaurach (line 201) are also connected to Erlangen by public buses.

The local public transport consists primarily of busses, and to lesser extent the S-Bahn (with only four stations in the city area). Erlangen is part of the VGN (Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg, association of public transportation of the Nuremberg metropolitan area). The VGN website allows for automated route planning and provides fare and network information. Due to the integration into VGN, if you plan to visit one of the neigbouring cities, you may want to buy a VGN day ticket covering the additional area; for some destinations (e.g. Bamberg, Bayreuth) a day ticket is even cheaper than two one way tickets. There are also tickets for two adults and up to four minors ("TagesTicket Plus"; which also allows you to take bicycles with you instead of additional people). The local bus operator ESTW (Erlanger Stadtwerke) operates an information/ticket store which shares the office with the tourist information (for the location, see Understand section above).

Cycling is the best way to get around and most locals bike to work and leisure activities. This is true for all ages, genders and income groups and a middle-aged man in a suit on a bike is no rare sight - in fact, you may even see a former mayor on his bike. You can rent one at various local bicycle shops or at the main train station. A large part of Erlangen was built with the Huguenot refugees from France in mind but before the advent of the car. Therefore a number of streets are too narrow for two cars to pass side by side. Almost all of these one-way streets can be entered by bike both ways. Thus cycling makes for the shortest trip lengths by distance.

In the heart of the city, everything is in a walking distance and there are a lot of pedestrian-only areas. Watch out for cyclists, especially around the university's main campus, as they often drive very fast and assume people will get out the way rather than the other way round. As in most of Germany, red bricks or white lines indicate cycle routes, so try and walk on the pedestrian side to make life easier for everyone.

If you need to cross a cycle lane with your car, be prepared to reverse if a bicycle approaches. When you turn, give way to cyclists. If you choose to drive, avoid downtown. There are several streets that are partially or entirely closed for cars and a lot of streets you can only drive one way (Einbahnstraße in German a white arrow on blue ground with that word written on is the symbol for that a white bar on red ground means: wrong direction). If you enter a one way street, be advised that cyclists may often use them in both ways. The best choice is to park outside downtown (e.g. the centrally located Großparkplatz (big parking lot) right next to the main train station) and walk. If you stay for more than just a couple of days, don't rent a car, rent a bike and do as the locals and bike everywhere.

The city center is worth seeing, as most of its buildings have been preserved. As an example, the “new town” (Neustadt) has been built as a planned community for the Huguenots who came as religious refugees from France. It spans from the 49.597904111.0046841Margravial Palace. and the square 49.596702411.01175332Bohlenplatz.. The architecture has been significantly influenced by that fact. Its streets lie straight in a grid and the houses display façades in a continuous style. The market and palace square (Marktplatz/Schlossplatz) with the 49.597817211.00409673margrave statue. and the 49.597716811.00346584Pauli fountain. together with the Huguenot square (Hugenottenplatz) form the center of this baroque part of the city. The Pauli fountain is created in new renaissance style and has been donated to the city by the merchant couple Pauli.

The historic “old town” is located north of the “new town”; however, it burned down in 1706 and was rebuilt from scratch. The current buildings are nevertheless worth seeing, even though they are younger than the houses of the “new town” and have been based on their style. When visiting, take a walk around the streets (especially the ones around “Schiffstraße”, “Altstädter Kirchplatz” and “Theaterplatz”).

Outside of the city center, you will find further areas with historic buildings, for example built between the two world wars. These are mostly located east and southeast of the center (you can use “Schillerstraße” and “Österreicher Straße” as orientation points to find the areas). Further interesting old architecture can be found on the university's Röthelheim campus (between “Artielleriestraße” and “Allee am Röthelheimpark”).

49.597271511.00362045Palais Sutterheim, Marktplatz 1. Built 1728 through 1730 for Amtshauptmann Christian Hieronymus von Stutterheim based on sketches by Wenzel Perner. Used as town hall between 1836 and 1971. Today, it hosts the museum Kunstpalais and the city's public library, which offers a magnificient public place to read magazines and newspapers.(updated Oct 2016)

49.598995211.00398818historic water tower, Apfelstraße 12. Built to supply the fountains within Schlossgarten and Orangerie.

49.609239911.00503019historic water tower, Burgbergstraße 90. The water tower on the Burgberg hill was built to store the city's drinking water supply and can be seen from many locations within the city.

49.60785311.003544710Bierkeller (beer cellars) at Entlas Keller, An den Kellern 5-7 (towards the end of the "Berch" area (when entering, go left, Entlas Keller has a concrete-glass structure added which is quite obvious)), ☎+49 9131 22100. Public tours Apr-Sep: Su 11:00; groups and individual tours upon request. At Entlas Keller (the duck's cellar), you can visit the extensive underground paths and former beer storage areas. Before artificial cooling was invented, people dug cellars into the hills and brought ice in there to cool the beer throughout the year; at this place you can visit "Erlangen's extensive underground".public tours: €6 incl. 1 drink (0.4 l), kids up to 12 years old free of charge; individual/group tours: €90. (updated Apr 2017)

49.596597611.010216615German reformed church Bohlenplatz, Bohlenplatz 1. This is not a church any more, it is now a parish house. Reformed Christians from Palatine and Switzerland created the parish and sanctified their own church in 1734. In 1922, the French Reformed and the German reformed churches merged.(updated Oct 2016)

49.623147911.013510322Bubenreutheum (string instrument maker and music history museum), Birkenallee 51, 91088 Bubenreuth (from the central station, take bus 253 to Bubenreuth, Katholische Kirche (catholic church)), ☎+49 9131 23 121, +49 9131 908 61 58. Su 14:00-17:00, group tours can also be arranged at other times. You probably would not expect to find much in Bubenreuth, a rather small town just north of Erlangen's Burgberg. However, this Franconian town is home to great music and instrument makers. This museum is located in the town hall and has been initiated by a local association. It shows the local string instrument maker history (which most significantly relates to makers of violins), which is rich in the 20th century, after World War II. While not part of Erlangen, it's no farther than the south of the city.€2, reduced admission: €1.50, kids up to the age of 14 free of charge. (updated Apr 2017)

Erlangen has a high number of parks and garden which enable you to relax in the green:

The 49.598419311.008034223Schlossgarten. daily 6.30am – 8pm. is especially popular amongst students and other young folks on nice weather and is used for sunbathing and playing; it also offers a lot of benches(updated Oct 2016)

Just next to it, the 49.599260811.006756924botanical garden. invites for a walk; especially in rainy wheather or winter, you may like to visit the greenhouses; the garden furthermore offers an artificial stalactite cave, called Neischl-Grotte (which however is not always open)(updated Oct 2016)

The 49.60239711.01630925aromatic garden, Palmsanlage. is located near the clinic and the university buildings next to the auditorium maximum and is part of the university's research collection Herbarium Erlangense. It invites for a walk around the intertwined paths and offers a variety of well-known and less well-known aromatic and spice plants as well as a marsh area.(updated Oct 2016)

Some hundred meters north of the old town, you will find the 49.607870911.009729626Burgberg garden, including the Heinrich Kirchner sculpture park (access either from “An den Kellern” at the Eastern part of the Bergkirchweih grounds or via “Burgbergstraße”, roughly opposite of house number 58). Located in between villas, it spans about 30,000 m² and has many old trees. At its upper end, it contains a viewpoint and the best view over the city. A further highlight are the bronze sculputres by Erlangen artist Heinrich Kirchner.(updated Oct 2016)

The 49.60513811.009558227Schwabachanlage. is a park around the tiny river Schwabach which begins at the northern end of the old town and spans across Palmsanlage up to the borough of “Sieglitzhof”. It contains open playing grounds (including a water playground for children, located next to the footbridge Steg an der Bleiche near the neurological clinic of the university hospital, to get there take either of the paths next to the house Schwabachanlage 1a) and sports areas and is popular amongst walkers, joggers and bikers.(updated Nov 2016)

Green squares within the city such as Ohmplatz south of the center and the Bohlenplatz in the eastern part of the new town. You may furthermore relax on the sunny Altstädter Kirchplatz or within the shadow at Neustädter Kirchplatz, potentially seeing some boule players.

49.552211.030528Sculpture park "An der Wied" (Tennenlohe), An der Wied (bus lines 20, 295, 30 stop "Skulpturenpark"). A presentation of a large variety of modern sculptures throughout the former village of Tennenlohe (which has been annexed to Erlangen). The best way to experience this is to take the circular route displayed on the map, starting at Tennenlohe's little lake (which is next to the bus stop, at the intersection of An der Wied and Sebastianstraße).(updated Nov 2016)

Within its city limits, Erlangen offers two nature reserves, 49.587252811.02724429Exerzierplatz. (slightly east of the center) and 49.565194111.018856430Brucker Lache. (south of the center, east of the district Bruck).

In the southern part of Erlangen, in the woods north of and east of the district of Tennenlohe, you will find the 49.556156511.027080431Walderlebniszentrum Tennenlohe (forest experience center), Weinstraße 100, ☎+49 9131 60 46 40, e-mail: wez.erlangen@aelf-fu.bayern.de. Nov-Feb: M-Th 07:30-16:00, F 07:30-14:00, Su and holidays 11:00-17:00. Mar-Oct: M-Th 07:30-16:00, i 07:30-18:00, Sa 13:00-16:00, Su 11:00-18:00. It offers a presentation and workshop targeted at children to adults to give them a lively feeling about the woods, their backgrounds and importance; during the summer weekends, it also features a caféadmission free of charge. (updated Nov 2016). Furthermore, you can look for the 49.555891311.04157832Urwildpferde (primary wild horses), Tennenloher Forst, Heuweg. who live in a fenced area within the nature reserve of the Tennenlohe forest (you can go around the area and cross a bridge at about the middle of the area); this gives you a nice walk in a foresty area even without the horses(updated Nov 2016). If you want to extend your walk some more, you can start in eastern Tennenlohe next to the firefire station and start your walk with the 49.551302111.0304233Tennenlohe sculture axis, Sebastianstraße 3. sculptures by local artists presented in the wood by an association which also provides a map with positions of all sculptures(updated Nov 2016).

The 49.59626910.991100534Wiesengrund. the flooding area of the river Regnitz invites for a slow walk and is located west of the city center, between the latter and the district of Alterlangen.. In many parts, it still shows the old watering canals formerly used for agriculture; citizen initiatives even restored some of the old scoop wheels, such as the 49.570794910.983289635Brucker Wasserrad..

In any case, for experiencing Erlangen, you should take a stroll through the small but cosy Altstadt (roughly said the area delimited by Hauptstraße, Schlossgarten and Theaterplatz) and Neustadt (the area south of Slossgarten) and the pedestrian zone (northern part of Nürnberger Straße and side streets). If you want to relax with a newspaper, take a time and read within the nice reading area of the 49.597271511.00362041city library in Palais Sutterheim, Marktplatz 1.. On warm summer evenings, you could join the students by picknicking or having a beer at Bohlenplatz. For a city of this size, cultural offerings and events are plentyful and of good quality and you should just check what's on when you are here and what suits your interests.

49.607557111.0050862Bergkirchweih (Berch), An den Kellern. Begun in 1755, this festival is held every Pentecost (Whitsuntide - seven weeks after Easter) for 12 days every year. The first day is always the Thursday before the Pentecost weekend. Similar to Oktoberfest, but more German owing to the absence of tourists. The festival draws crowds around the 1 million mark, so hotels might get crowded and overpriced during this time of the year. At 23:00 the main action stops and the party crowd goes on to the various discos and bars that keep going until 05:00

Tag des offenen Denkmals. Usually held in late summer, this day offers the possibility to see many historic monuments, even some which are usually not open; which sites takes place changes (see link), Erlangen usually takes part in the nationwide happening with a significant amount of offerings(updated Sep 2016)

Erlangen has three centrally located Christmas Markets, which are all atmospherically nice.

49.597817211.00409673Erlanger Waldweihnacht, Schlossplatz. M-Sa 10:00-21:00, Su 11:00- (starting end November and running until Christmas). During the opening there is also an open air ice rink on the other half of the square (Marktplatz).(updated Sep 2016)

Stadttheater Erlangen. 3 stages, among them the Markgrafentheater, which is the oldest Baroque theater in Southern Germany - built in 1719. It is worth visiting, even if you don't understand German at all.

49.600576811.0012656E-Werk Kulturzentrum, Fuchsenwiese 1 (at the intersection of Hauptstraße and Engelstraße (coming from Hauptmarkt, that's the last crossroads before the square Martin-Luther-Platz with the curch), go down the hill and you will already see the spark logo. The entrance for the big hall and the ticket sales are to left, the main entrance to everything else is to the right around the building.). Cultural centre showing great concerts (from famous to hardly known), which also hosts a cinema, multiple festivals and a variety of other program, such as for example poetry slams.(updated Sep 2016)

There are a couple of swimming pools in the city open for the public. You can find opening times and prices (in German) here.

There is an extensive network of designated bycicling routes, which are marked with white signs. For tours out of town, best consult the information provided by ADFC (German bicycling association), one of the nicer ways is cycling the Regnitz Radweg next to the river via Fürth to Nürnberg (~25 km one way; you may also take the train for the other direction but be sure to buy a ticket both for you as well as for your bike). Renting bikes is possible at several places in town (see Getting around section).

There is a golfcourse operated by 49.59773611.18537057Golf Club Erlangen (about 15km East of Erlangen (towards Eckental)). (updated Sep 2016).

Annual charitable football tournament "Football against cancer". Last Sunday of February in the sport hall of Friedrich-Alexander University.

DAV Erlangen operates a climbing and bouldering hall and a climbing tower.

HC Erlangen is the town's (Olympic) Handball club that made its way to the first division Bundesliga in 2014 and again in 2016. They used to play all home games in the Karl Heinz Hiersemann Halle in Erlangen but since 2016 have played in their temporary home in Nuremberg. Plans to build a bigger venue to accommodate the bigger crowds are underway if controversial due to cost concerns.

During the Cold War the city had an US garrison with all that entails and after the soldiers left, it largely fell into the hands of the city. While the living quarters were turned into housing and some of the former training grounds are now nature reserve, the Baseball diamond was given over to the Erlangen White Sox while an American Football team, the Erlangen Sharks play right next door.

For a city of its size, Erlangen's shopping opportunities are both varied and abundant. Probably the nicest aspect of shopping in Erlangen is that you have a mix of all the standards you may need but also a diverse scene of smaller and not-so-common shops that offer you another type of shopping experience and in many cases good personal consultation and advice if you wish. A lot of exquisite small shops have great things on offer, and are often highly specialised (e.g. arts and crafts, music).

The shops are mostly located in the areas of the Altstadt (old town) and Neustadt (new town) and around the axes of Hauptstraße/Marktplatz/Nürnberger Straße and Friedrichstraße/Obere Karlstraße; always also including the neighbouring streets around them. You can talk a pleasant walk around all of these areas (which are all easily covered on foot). If you want to shop in the Altstadt are, note that there is an offer called Altstadtshopping on Thursday late afternoons: most shops are open somewhat longer (often till 20:00) and parking on the Fuchsenwiese parking space is free of charge as of 16:00.

Most shops open between 09:30 and 11:00 (most at 10:00), with smaller shops usually closing between 18:00 and 19:00 on weekdays and between 14:00 and 16:00 on Saturdays. Due to Bavaria's strict laws, no shops may open beyond 20:00 or on Sundays with the exception of those serving a travel need (e.g. shops in gas stations or train stations) or bakeries, which also open on Sundays but not after 20:00. There are some verkaufsoffene Sonntage on a semi-regular basis when most shops open on Sunday, but expect a lot of traffic on those days and crowded shops.

49.595830910.999621122Trödelmarkt am Erlanger Großparkplatz (at times) (This flea market takes place on the big parking area west of the train station (from city center pass through the underpass and continue straigt on past the short term parking area, the flea market is on bigger parking areas behind)). (updated Sep 2016)

49.5916711.006914223neuer markt, Rathausplatz 5. The older of the shopping malls contains the renowned clothes merchant Wöhrl, C&A, smaller shops and a small but good food court.(updated Oct 2016)

49.593111.004124Arcaden, Nürnberger Straße 7 (you can enter the arcaden from Nürnberger Straße (about mid between Henkestraße and Rathausplatz) and from an entrance on Güterhallenstraße, very near the crossroads of Nürnberger Straße and Henkestraße); the parking garage has its entrance from Güterbahnhofstraße (at the junction with Nägelsbachstraße)), ☎+49 9131 97 00 00, e-mail: mfi.erlangen@mfi.eu. M-Sa 09:30-20:00; Schausonntag (Sunday: no sales, just showing) 10:00-17:00. This is the bigger mall within Erlangen; it offers a wide variety covering most needs (including food offers upstairs).(updated Oct 2016)

The region is famous for the number and charm of its beer gardens, where in summer you can enjoy a cool drink and a bite to eat (Brotzeit = German equivalent of a picnic) whilst enjoying traditional music. Entla's Keller (regional dialect for duck's cellar) is located on the Burgberg where the Bergkirchweih is held as well but outside of this festival operates as a normal beer garden (the locally preferred word is Bierkeller, beer-cellar) and sells typical Franconian cuisine and beer by the liter.

49.596478511.00316055Samui Asia Lounge, Richard-Wagner-Straße 6, ☎+49 9131 9706878. M-Sa 11:30-23:30. One of the best Thai offerings in Erlangen, to eat in the restaurant or take-away.(updated Oct 2016)

49.6020711.003797Zum Pleitegeier, Hauptstraße 100, ☎+49 9131 207324, e-mail: info@zum-pleitegeier.de. daily 18:00-02:00. This is a kind of institution in Erlangen. Plainly decorated, however young in mind. The courtyard becomes a beergarden in summer. Cheep salads, unconventional pizza and small to bigger plates with adequate drink prices make the Pleitegeier a popular meeting spot.(updated Sep 2016)

49.5965111.0068712Yoghurt Bar Erlangen, Untere Karlstraße 15 (from Hugenottenplatz walk East (i.e. away from the central station and take the street going straigt off at the right end of the square). Tasty homemade soups and frozen yoghurts. Popular with university students as the university library is close by.soup with bread €3.50-4.50. (updated Sep 2016)

49.595135111.008095814Kitzmann BräuSchänke, Südliche Stadtmauerstraße 25, ☎+49 9131 81 08 33. daily 11:00-00:00, kitchen operating only until 21:45. Located near the center of the city. Traditional German food and beer from the local brewery.(updated Oct 2016)

49.576627510.985023817Ritter St. Georg, Herzogenauracher Damm 11, ☎+49 9131 7665-0. From 09:00 daily, kitchen open 11:30-14:00, 18:00-21:30; holidays only till 21:00. A nice place for Franconian food, somewhat south of the center in the district of Bruck, situated next to the river Regnitz.(updated Oct 2016)

49.60282011.00512519Steinbach Bräu, Vierzigmannstraße 4, ☎+49 9131 89 59 - 12, e-mail: gewalt@steinbach-braeu.de. 17:00-00:00. It is hidden in the alleys of the city in the northern part, so tourists cannot easily find it. Traditional German food with fresh beer from their microbrewery.(updated Aug 2016)

49.607892511.003506621Entla's Keller, An den Kellern 5-7, ☎+49 9131-22100, e-mail: mail@entlaskeller.de. April - last September Sunday 11:00-23:00. One of the best known Keller during Bergkirchweih this one focuses on the food at least as much as the beer ("Entla" is Franconian for duck). It is also the only one to be open all summer long and it is as good a place as any to sample traditional Franconian cuisine and the unique Bierkeller experience.Bratwurst €2, Schäuferle €9. (updated Aug 2016)

49.597194711.015908531Café Brazil, ☎+49 - 9131 - 23455. A relatively small menu but good food with mostly good daily offerings, often populated with students.(updated Aug 2016)

49.593519311.022013732Salz und Pfeffer, Hartmannstr. 19. M-F 11:30-15:00, 18:00-23:00, kitchen closes at 14:30 and 21:30, respectively. Good food but somewhat densely packed and noisy. You mostly need to book in advance to get a seating.(updated Oct 2016)

49.602710611.003905635Mein lieber Schwan, +49 (0)9131-53540. Tu-Su 12:00-14:00,18:00-24:00. One of the best restaurants in town, with a short but diverse menu, and tasty quality food and friendly staff.

While Erlangen is somewhat short of nice street cafés, there are many places where you can enjoy a good cup in the rooms, quiet gardens or at some places even with a look outside to see what is happening. Some of the good addresses are:

Neustadt area (around Neustädter Kirchplatz and Bohlenplatz)

49.595830911.00782391Erlanger Teehaus, Friedrichstraße 14, ☎+49 9131 22 9 11. M-F 08:00–22:00, Sa 08:00–20:00, Su 10:00-19:00. A good place for a tea or cake in the comfortable rooms or nice garden; it also offers good breakfast.(updated Oct 2016)

49.59700911.00850222Amir der Kaffemann, Fahrstraße 5, ☎+49 9131 975 42 11. Amir is a near-fanatic coffee lover and expert, one of the best places to have a really good cup of coffee (he roasts his own blends). You can also have a decent tea, smoothies, and snacks such as bagels. Unfortunately, the place has only few outdoor seats available.(updated Oct 2016)

49.596167111.006333Kafferösterei Königmann, Weiße Herzstraße 2. M-F 09:00-18:00, Sa 09:00-16:00. offers café, hot chocolate and tea, you can also sit outside with a view onto the Neustädter Kirchplatz which is right next to it(updated Oct 2016)

49.596558111.00819415Café Mohr, Obere-Karl Straße 4, ☎+49 9131 - 9247763, e-mail: info@cafemohr.de. T-Sa 10:00-19:00, may close during longer holidays. A Vienna-style coffee house, located next to the main university libarary.(updated Aug 2017)

On and around Market Square:

49.5982811.004376Café Mengin, Schlossplatz 5. Situated between the Schlossgarten and Schlossplatz, this good café offers delicious cakes; furthermore there is a great breakfast offering and later during the day other small dishes(updated Oct 2016)

49.5982411.004138Sax, Am Schloßplatz 6 (located at the corner, just next to the Schloss (nowadays university administration building)), ☎+49 9131 90 88 440. During the day for a coffee or small dishes, or at night for a beer.(updated Oct 2016)

49.593811.004911Coffini, Nürnberger Str. 9, ☎+49-9131-612 527. Located at a major intersection of the pedestrian zone with another street, near the Erlangen Arcaden mall, you can sit outside in the buzzing crowd in summer or in the somewhat quieter inner area which is in one of the old small "palace" style buildings of Erlangen. Fresh cake.(updated Jan 2017)

49.598516711.015910014Café Weiß, Lorlebergplatz 1, ☎+49 9131 530 2560, e-mail: info@cafe-weiss-erlangen.de. (only as of mid Sept 2017) M–Sa 09:00-00:00; Su 09:00-20:00. At the location of a former Café Weiß, later the café Lorleberg, the younger generation of the Weiß family will re-open their café in Sept 2017.(updated Aug 2017)

Out of core town:

49.555732911.027778815Waldcafé, Weinstraße 100, ☎+49 911 47576 1100 (office not in cafe). only in summer season: Sa 13:00-17:00; Su 11:00-17:30. Attached to the Walderlebniszentrum, this café is located under old trees inmidst of green. It is run in a way including disabled people, most of the offers are home made.(updated Aug 2017)

Erlangen used to be a major center of beer brewing and "Erlangen beer" was such a household name that Karl May (who spent most of his life in Saxony) mentions it as being sold somewhere in the Balkans. As late as the 1980s a brewery in Milwaukee sold a beer called "Erlanger". This is mostly due to the Burgberg (the site of today's Bergkirchweih) and the Bierkeller dug into it - underground works for storing beer in the summer months to keep it from spoiling. Prior to artificial refrigeration, this gave Erlangen an edge in beer export and over a dozen breweries exported throughout Europe as soon as a railway connection opened to Erlangen. However, with the invention of practicable cooling machines, Erlangen lost its edge and most breweries were unwilling or unable to compete on the new market, with all but one (Kitzmann) eventually going under. Today Kitzmann is by far the biggest brewery in the city, but old names are appearing once more at places other than the Bierkeller on the Burgberg (which are still named after now defunct breweries) and Steinbach is now in operation again and Weller is in the process of becoming a full on brewery (you can already sample their beer on Saturdays 11:00-14:00 at a downtown (Hauptsraße 55) location).

49.6012511.0073416Kanapee, Neue Straße 50, ☎+49 9131 25837. A well-established bar with several rooms especially popular amongst students, they also show the big Bundesliga football games(updated Oct 2016)

49.597921111.002149518Schwarzer Ritter, Paulistraße 10, ☎+49 9131 24976. Su-Th 20:00-06:00; F Sa 20:00-07:00. While it opens at similar times as other bars, this is the place to go when everything else has closed; it becomes crowded only very late at night or early in the morning. Their main draw is that they offer warm food until 05:00.(updated Oct 2016)

49.6014411.0028719Gummi Wörner, Hauptstraße 90. Tu-Sa 20:00-02:00 (sometimes 03:00 on weekends). A rather hip bar, where students and Siemens employees are often seen; on Saturdays they usually open the basement and have a DJ play music.(updated Oct 2016)

49.5951611.002404220Transfer, Westliche Stadtmauerstrßae 8, ☎+49 9131 26 929. M 21:00-24:00; Tu W 00:00-02:00, 21:00-24:00; Th-Sa 00:00-04:00, 21:00-24:00. A rather alternative place whose interior has not changed for quite long, it is very friendly inside, even though the requirement to ring the doorbell to get in may suggest otherwise.(updated Oct 2016)

49.597507511.01501921Café Cycles, Marquardsenstraße 18, ☎+49 9131 29 127. M-F 11:00-02:00; Sa Su 10:00-01:00. A friendly café with a small set of dishes and a bar at night; it also offers some tables in a quiet side street so one can sit outside in summer.(updated Oct 2016)

49.600429111.003461723Havana Bar, Engelstraße 17, e-mail: info@havana-erlangen.de. Tu-Sa from 19:00, Summer from 20:00. One of the best bars for cocktails in Erlangen(updated Sep 2016)

Venues with regular live music:

49.602590811.003571224Strohalm, Hauptstraße 107, ☎+49 9131 214 23. Tu F Sa 20:30-03:00; W Th 20:30-01:00; Su 19:00-01:00. This bar is an institution in Erlangen, especially amongst the scene of music interested people as it regularly hosts live acts and an open stage.(updated Oct 2016)

Irish pubs:

49.5980611.0155125Murphy's law (Irish pub), Bismarckstraße 30 (at Lorlebergplatz), ☎+49 9131 829 78 99. This Irish pub at Lorlebergplatz also offers a selection of dishes in the evening (try the great chicken and mushroom pie); furthermore, they sometimes have live music. It is very popular amongst students and the working crowd, especially on weekends.(updated Oct 2016)

49.596087311.009529326Dartmoor Inn, Friedrichstraße 34, ☎+49 9131 205 120. M-Sa 17:00-01:00 (Sa if football game is on, from 13:00). Another Irish pub, which you should especially visit when interested in playing darts or eating fish and chips; it also offers burgers.(updated Oct 2016)

49.6024611.0035029Zirkel, Hauptstraße 105. Tu Th F Sa. Student club in the basement. The owner of this place and the Kanapee bar is the same and they often have cross-promotions (e.g. drink a certain amount at Kanapee for free entrance to Zirkel). On Friday and Saturday nights there will often be a lot of high school students, but on Tuesday and Thursday nights university students tend to dominate the crowd.(updated Oct 2016)

49.631475210.9475984Camping-Club Rangau e.V., Campingstraße 44 (located at the Großer Bischhofsweiher in the incorporated former village of Dechsendorf, about 6-7 km north east of the city center), ☎+49 91 35 88 66, e-mail: infos@camping-rangau.de. Located in a local recreation area (at Erlangen's biggest pond), this site is operating April through September.(updated Nov 2016)

49.59680911.014848110Zeitwohnhaus, Luitpoldstraße 10, ☎+49 9131 530 39 40. Classy business hotel and serviced apartments close to the centre of the city (1 km from railway station). Great rooms with comfort apartments.Single from €61, double from €81. (updated Jul 2017)

49.598111.023914Villa Glas, Wilhelmstraße 23, ☎+49 9131 97 00 440. Located at the east end of the city center in a quiet residential area, this hotel has not changed in the last years but is still friendlysingle room incl. 69 Euro, double as of 85 Euro. (updated Oct 2016)

49.594911.026516Book-IT, Carl-Thiersch-Straße 2c, ☎+49 9131 6101-300, e-mail: info@book-it.de. 200 apartments spread over 4 buildings, some in modern buildings and some in highly renovated old brick barrack buildings. Two buildings are at this location, whereas the other two are at other locations within 10 minutes' walk from this location.starting at €63 per night. (updated Nov 2016)

There are many interesting and charming destinations for sightseeing and day trips (or longer) in the Erlangen region. The surrounding countryside is beautiful (Franconian Switzerland, Franconian lake district) and there are many towns and villages of historical and architectural interest.

Augsburg - often overlooked nice medium-sized city near to and much older than Munich, historically important amongst others due to its strong banking business

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